Motherwell Town Centre

NLC Environmental Services have designed and supervised delivery of the second phase of Motherwell Town Centre Environmental Improvements.

The aim of the project was to upgrade the appearance of the town centre as well as improving access and circulation, especially for pedestrians. The project centers around two public buildings- the Motherwell Library and the old Town Hall building and also includes the footway link to the Motherwell Heritage Center. The new layout led to widening of footways and infilling of bus bays and loading bays to improve traffic management. Street clutter was reduced by removing all street guards and rearranging of street furniture. New bus shelters and bus stops have been repositioned to enable easy access from raised granite kerbs. Retractable bollards and bell bollards restrict illegal parking and keep the footway free of obstructions for pedestrians while maintaining the loading space available for the library.

The streets paved in granite create a beautiful setting for the historical buildings, seamlessly merging old and new. Bespoke granite benches not only provide a resting and waiting area but include interesting facts about the town’s heritage. The footway in High Road, leading to the Heritage Centre, incorporates stainless steel and corten steel lettering describing the town’s history from its beginning up till now. Granite columns create a gateway feature incorporating 10 historical images showing the town’s streets in the 19th and 20th century. The project also included tree pit installation, new street lighting and several in-ground lights cored into the granite slabs.

The design was developed through extensive internal and external consultation and was presented for comments during public displays, on hand delivered leaflets and on the council’s website.

Location

Hamilton Road, High Road and West Hamilton Street, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire

Type of scheme

urban

Size

4000m2

Lead landscape architect

Greenspace Development, North Lanarkshire Council (NLC)

Outline brief

The purpose of the project was to improve the quality, function and appearance of the streets and public areas through footway and road realignment and resurfacing, installation of new street furniture, lighting, street trees & public art.